Cellulose fibres coated with cotton wax



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March 25, 1.958 w. SONNENSCHEIN ,82

CELLULOSE FIBRES COATED wmx COTTON WAX I I Filed Dec. 14, 1954 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 PULL PULL

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I INVENTOR. WILHELMV SONNENSCHEIN DRAW I ATTORNEY March 25, 1958 w. SONNENSCHEIN 2,8

CELLULOSE FIBRES COATED WITH COTTON WAX Filed Dec. 14, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PULL ' DRAW PULL DRAW

INVENTOR. WILHELM SONNENSCHEIN' ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,828,229 CELLULOSE FIBRES COATED WITH COTTON WAX Wilhelm Sonnenschein, Kassel, Germany, assignor to Spinnfaser Aktiengesellschaft, Kassel-Bettenhausen, Germany, a corporation of Germany Application December 14, 1954, Serial No. 475,247 Claims priority, application Germany December 18, 1953 1 Claim. (Cl. 117-1395) finishing as used herein means the treatment applied in the manufacture of rayon staple. The term lubrication is used in the textile industry, as contrasted with finish as above defined, to designate the additional lubrication appliedin the textile mill. The purpose of the finishing, therefore, is to provide a staplethat will card, comb, and particularly draw and spin betterthan unfinished staple.

It is also known that the preparation of the stock for spinning .on theworsted system differs from that carried out on the woolen system. In the worsted system, the rayon is separately subjected to carding and combing from theraw stock stage until the rayon top is produced. That rayon top is then blended with the separately prepared woolen top in the subsequent drawing operation. In the, woolen system, the rayonstaple and the wool staple are generally blended inthe earlystages of the manipulation.

Blended cotton and rayon yarns are generally made by blending the different fibers. Blending in some cases takes place in the drawing. stage .that produces the roving; and in some cases the blending is initiated with the raw stock forms: When working with rayon staple alone on the cotton system, the lap, card sliver, comb sliver, roving and the ultimately spun yarn constitute 100 percent rayon. The problem of finishing is of particular significance in connection with the working purely of rayon staple (cellulose wool). Whereas the spinning of cellulose wool on the worsted system and on the woolen system does not generally present any substantial difiiculties due to the mixture of the synthetic fibers with the natural fibers so that the known finishing agents are adequate, the spinning of the rayon staple on the cotton system gives rise to dilficult problems. The quality of the cotton type of spinning the rayon staple (cellulose wool) dependsin addition to other factors-very much upon the adherency of the staple in the fleece and in the carding ribbon or sliver; and it is also dependent upon the attitude of these synthetic fibers when drawn into ribbons or slivers or rovings. The finishing agents which have been used heretofore have not been found successful for this purpose. For example, the card sliver made from staple finished with the usual finishing agents exhibits a jerky draw as shown in the graph of Fig. l. The result thereof was that during the subsequent operations, periodic non-uniformities were to be expected in the yarn goods or the fabric.

In contrast thereto, a completely jerkless drawing is desired as indicated in the graph of Fig. 2; a smoothness of drawing that is characteristic for natural fibers possessing the well-known super molecular structure. Some of 2,828,229 Patented Mar. 25, 1958 the known cation active finishing agents do produce a jerkless drawing, but these agents so substantially reduce the adherence of the fiber to the base that they are not suitable as finishing agents for cellulose wool.

It has been found that. cellulose staple can be finished by means of suitable finishing agents so as to impart thereto the desired jerkless drawing characteristics. Investigations have shown that the higher aliphatic saturated alcohols having a carbon content of C to C preferably C to C impart to the rayon staple the quality of jerkless drawing without appreciably reducing adherence of the fibers within the ribbon or sliver. These alcohols may be, in part, esterified with higher fatty acids having a carbon content of from 15 to 34 carbon atoms. Furthermore, mixtures of the aforementioned alcohols and esters of different chain alcohols may be used.

As starting materials for the manufacture of these alcohols and esters, either pure or in admixture with each other, various natural waxes may be used. For example, upon partially saponifying beeswax, there is obtained a mixture of alcohols and esters, which mixture when used in an aqueous emulsion as a finishing agent imparts to synthetic fibers jerkless drawing. Among the natural waxes which are suitable in accordance with this invention, there are the cotton waxes in the form in which they are extracted from cotton. They are suitable for this purpose since they excel in their comparatively high content of free aliphatic alcohols. The admixture of about 20 percent of free high molecular fatty acids and paraifins to the aforementioned alcohols and esters is not harmful. The alcohols or the ester-alcohol mixtures are emulsified in water by means of an emulsifying agent. The quantity of the emulsifying agent used for such purpose should be kept as low as possible. Theamountrof emulsifying agent should not exceed 5 percent as otherwise the presence of the emulsifying agent reduces the improved drawing effect produced by thefinishing.

Alcohols such as myr'icyl alcohol (6 11 01 1) or behenic alcohol (C H OH) are used in concentrations of from 2.0 to 3.0 grams per liter of the finishing bath. The cotton waxes may be used in the same concentration.

Other natural waxes which do not contain an adequate content of the high molecular weight aliphatic alcohols, as for example, carnauba wax or beeswax, and the like, should be subjected to a partial saponification. After acidification of the saponification mixture and separation of the organic constituents, the isolated saponification products may be used in the same concentrations as described above. Natural waxes of the type just mentioned which have a content of free alcohols of less than 40 percent are not suitable for obtaining a jerkless draw since concentrations of 10 grams per litre and above must be used which result in sticking or adhesion of the individual fibers to each other whereby the manufacture of a perfect thread or yarn is prevented.

Waxes, per se, have been used in the textile industry for different purposes. For example, by treatment of the fibers with solutions of paraflin wax, beeswax or carnauba wax in solvents such as kerosene, the aim has been to impart better coherence to threads when wound up in the form of balls or rolls. It has also been proposed to im pregnate threads by means of emulsions consisting of montan wax, oil and resin. In another method, textile threads are generally treated with an emulsion containing paraflin, a hydrophilic agent and a hydrophobic agent to improve the slipping or gliding of the fibers. The paraffin in such cases may also be replaced by wax. It has been found that treatment with parafiin does not result in a cellulose wool card ribbon or sliver which can be drawn without jerkiness.

Example 1 1.2 kg. of myricyl alcohol are molten together with 0.04 kg. of a wax-emulsifying emulsifier, as for instance, an

emulsifier manufactured by the firm of Dr. Th. Bohme under the name Special Emulsifier 1836. Then the mixture is left to cool while being continuously agitate /2 liter of hot water is added in small quantities, the mixture being stirred to form a paste which is subsequently fed into about 400 liters of hot water having a temperature of 40 to 50 C. The mixture is then emulsified by means of an emulsifying device. The concentration of this bath is 3.0 grams per liter. It is charged with 20 kg. of rayon staple (cellulose wool); and treated for about five minutes. Then the moist fibers are squeezed to achieve a moisture content of about 140 percent; and the fibers are dried at 70 C. A card ribbon made from such synthetic fiber shows a drawing illustrated by the graph of Fig. 3.

Example 2 1.2 kg. of behenic alcohol are molten and 0.06 kg. of 96 percent sulphuric acid added thereto. The acid is allowed to act on the alcohol for about ten minutes while being stirred; and the mixture is cooled to room temperature,

Example 3 0.6 kg. of myricyl alcohol ester of cerotic acid (CH (CH COOH), 0.3 kg. of a saturated hydrocarbon fraction having a chain length of more than C and 0.05 kg. of a wax-emulsifying emulsifier, such as the Special- Emulsifier 1836 of the firm of Dr. Th. Bohme, are molten together and allowed to 'cool while being continuously stirred. Then /2 liter of hot water is added in small quantities and the mass stirred to form a paste. This paste is introduced into about 200 liters of hot water having a temperature of about 40 to 50 C.; and emulsified by means of an emulsifying device. kg. of synthetic fibers are fed into the bath.

Example4 1.2 kg. of cotton wax are molten together with 40 grams of a wax-emulsifying emulsifier. The mixture is allowed to cool while being continuously stirred; By the continuous gradual addition of /2 liter of hot water, the mixture is stirred to form a paste. This paste is added to about 400 liters of hot water having a temperature of 40 to 50 C.; and emulsified by means of an emulsifying device. The concentration of this bath is 3 grams per liter. kg. of cellulose wool are treated with this emulsion, the moisture content thereof is then reduced, by squeezing, to about 140 percent; and the fibers are dried at a 70 C. A carded roving made from this cellulose wool shows a drawing illustrated by the graph of Fig. 5. ExampleS 2 kg. of an oxyethylated stearic acid oxyethylamide are introduced into liters of water having a temperature of 70 C. The mixture is stirred for about 4 hour until emulsification is completed, and the emulsion is diluted with 1000 liters of Water having a temperature of to C. 50 kg. of cellulose wool are placed in the emulsion; and the finishing agent allowed to act for about five minutes upon the fibers. After removal from the bath, the water is thrown oif fibers until the moisture content thereof is reduced to about 130 to 140 percent. The fibers are dried in a drying oven having a temperature between to C. A carded roving made from these fibers shows a drawing illustrated by the graph of Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the foregoing description of the invention and the examples set forth are merely illustrative of the principles thereof. Accordingly, the appended claim is to be construed as defining the invention within the full spirit and scope thereof.

I claim:

As a new article ofmanufacture, rayon staple having thereon a finish of cotton wax.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

